Most police officers starting new jobs spend weeks trying to learn about the territory they serve.
In the case of James Westerfield, Estes Park’s new police commander, the biggest challenge so far has been learning to concentrate on just the 6.9 square miles of Estes Park, rather than the unincorporated area surrounding it.
That’s because for the past 11 years, Westerfield’s time has been spent patrolling the unincorporated Larimer County area around Estes Park.
“I had that whole county outlook of broad-spectrum problems across the Front Range to kind of focus on,” Westerfield said. His job today is paying attention to what the citizens in the town of Estes Park need.
“It’s a unique situation, and I’m looking forward to that challenge,” Westerfield said.
Rather than serving an area spanning the distance between Storm Mountain and Pinewood Springs with two other individuals, he’s currently working with a group of 19 full-time sworn officers.
“Now you have a team effort within the town because there’s a lot more people here. There’s a lot more going on in this condensed area, so it’ll be more management of people and events,” Westerfield said.
Accepting the position here provided “an opportunity that had more influence on the decision-making within an agency,” Westerfield said. “I have worked with Chief (Ian) Stewart before. I absolutely trust him.”
In addition to working with Stewart, Westerfield was enticed by his experience working side-by-side with Estes Park Police Department officers.
“I know it’s a great crew of officers that run the department. I was happy to step in and be a servant leader,” Westerfield said. The new commander shares duties with Jeremiah Polucha. The two work opposite schedules.
And there was one other big draw to seeking the Estes Park commander position: “It’s Estes Park. Who doesn’t love Estes Park?” he asked with a smile on his face.
One could say Westerfield, a Wyoming native who started working in his new role for the Estes Park Police Department just two weeks ago, is part of a family legacy of law enforcement officers. His father retired from the Wyoming Highway Patrol, and following serving in the U.S. Army, an older brother worked in federal law enforcement.
After Westerfield graduated from Chadron State College in Nebraska with a degree in criminal justice, he joined the Wyoming Capitol Police. In 1999, he moved to Colorado and was sworn in with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Department. One of his assignments while there covered the Red Feathers District, a large, remote jurisdiction with significant alpine terrain.
“It’s about 1,800 square miles, and it’s almost all national forest with a little bit of private land. That whole district was patrolled by three deputies,” Westerfield said. “I enjoyed the challenge. I enjoy getting out in the rural parts of the county.”
Once promoted, Westerfield worked in the Berthoud area for about a year. In 2015, he returned to being one of three officers when he made his way to the Estes Park area, patrolling the unincorporated Larimer County area.
Westerfield’s association with Estes Park dates back 26 years, when he and his then-fiancée chose wedding rings created and sold at a jeweler’s shop on West Elkhorn Avenue. Saying the two always were enamored by the town, Westerfield proudly held out his left hand and pointed to Longs Peak and the horizon prominently displayed on the band.